While the world awaits a softening of Iran’s positions, and especially awaits its answers regarding the activity at the nuclear sites which it has not declared and which it has not opened for inspection, so that a renewed nuclear agreement can be signed with it, a new report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) indicates that Iran has actually become , even if not officially, to a nuclear “threshold state”.
According to the IAEA, Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium (up to 60%) has increased and crossed the amount that is usually defined as the amount sufficient to produce a nuclear bomb. At the same time, the IAEA’s investigations regarding Iran’s undeclared nuclear sites are still stalled due to its refusal to cooperate with the agency .
The agency’s quarterly report, which will be distributed to its member states, states that Iran’s stockpile of uranium enriched up to 60% – which the advanced centrifuges bring to a state of gas accumulation – has increased since the last IAEA report on May 30 of this year, according to estimates by about 12.5 kg for the total amount of 55.6 kg. According to some accepted definitions, this amount exceeds the amount – which in the case of additional enrichment up to 90% – is theoretically sufficient to reach a nuclear bomb.
It should be noted that according to the IAEA definition, this amount is 42 kg. Therefore, the report basically states that Iran has exceeded the amount of enriched uranium up to 60% that the IAEA defines as sufficient to produce a nuclear bomb. In order to use it, it will, of course, have to obtain the knowledge necessary to combine it as an arrowhead for a ballistic missile or another launch device. In terms of the stockpile of enriched uranium In total, the estimates are that since the previous report in May, Iran has increased it by 131.6 kg, which brings it to an amount of 3,940.9 kg.
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What’s more: the report adds and details how Iran continues to violate key restrictions included in the 2015 nuclear agreement. According to the report, if the nuclear agreement with Iran is renewed, it will have to provide comprehensive records and the IAEA will be able to add monitoring measures to the Iranian nuclear program. However, the report states Because even if the Iranian records and control measures are achieved – significant challenges will still remain in relation to the ability to verify Iran’s stock of centrifuges.
The second part of the report deals with the IAEA’s investigations into Iran’s undeclared nuclear sites, which have been ongoing for several years. As in the previous report in May, this time too it is noted that Iran has not yet provided reliable answers regarding the source of the uranium residues found at three undeclared nuclear sites in its territory. In this context, the additional report states that “the Director General of the IAEA, Raphael Grossi, continues to be increasingly concerned that Iran is not cooperating with the agency regarding the monitoring and oversight issues during the period in question, and that this means that no progress has been made towards resolving these issues.” .